(Oops - this was supposed to post Friday, Nov. 1) Next week, look for October's wrap-up and my report on Poe-tober. Finished: 25 Icelandic Ghost Stories—Jón R. Hjálmarsson—2* (Oct 31) I bought this book on a trip to Iceland. The people there are really into ghosts and...

Finished: Frankenstein—Mary Shelley—2* (Oct 23) The story of Frankenstein has become a common cultural reference, but I'd never read the source material. Still, I had high hopes for creepiness. Instead, the scariest part of the book was how it took so long to read 108...

Finished: A Perilous Undertaking(Veronica Speedwell #2) — Deanna Raybourn — 3.75* (Oct 9) I loved the first book in this series so much that the second installment was destined to fall short of my expectations. The story was still very enjoyable and the main...

Finished: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told — Megan Mullally & Nick Offerman—3.5* (Sept 15) (This book was a September read but I finished it after I completed my last Friday Reads post so here’s the review) This is the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to...

Finished: A Curious Beginning – Deanna Raybourn 4.75* (Sept 9) Sometimes impulse buys work out, sometimes they don't. In this case, beautiful cover art, enthusiastic reviews, and the price (<$1) paid off many times over.Veronica Speedwell is a fascinating...

Finished: (Don't) Call Me Crazy – Kelly Jensen –3* (Aug 30) (This is actually an August book, but I finished it after I completed my last Friday Reads post) I bought this on impulse and I’m not sure what I was expecting. It was a worthwhile read if only to extend my...

Finished: The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton - 3.5* (Aug 29) "Gosford Park" meets "Groundhog Day" by way of Agatha Christie – the most inventive story you'll read this year. I’m not entirely sure how to rate this book. I have such mixed feelings about...

Finished: Nada. Unless you want to count the 105k-word novel I finished editing, which I do since I've read it 3 times (and will be reading it again once the author goes through my edits). 9/3 Update: I realized I DID finish a short book this week and somehow...

Finished: She's Not There – PJ Parrish – 2.5* (Aug 2) Entertaining but not life-changing. The mystery was interesting but nothing felt very original. Buchanon was a great character among a cast of many who weren't particularly compelling. I enjoyed reading it, but...

Finished: The Doll – Daphne du Maurier - 4* (July 20) I feel like a broken record when it comes to short stories, but this collection was less uneven than some others I've read. A few of the stories were misses for me, including the title story, "The Doll." But some...

Finished: Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng - 4.5* (June 19) Strong 4.5. Beautifully written, complex characters and stories. The ending left me wanting a bit more, otherwise it would’ve been 5. While I didn't always agree with the characters' actions, I feel that...

Finished: About Grace - Anthony Doerr - 3.5* (June 9) Anthony Doerr impressed me with his beautiful writing in "All The Light We Cannot See," and I bought this book without even reading the summary based on the strength of that book. "About Grace" was off to a very...